BA274 - Incident: BAW A35K enroute on Feb 19th 2026

A BAW British Airways Airbus A350-1000, registration G-XWBR performing flight BA-274 (dep Feb 18th) from Las Vegas,NV (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute at FL390 about 110nm southwest of Halifax,NS (Canada) when the right hand engine (Trent XWB) lost power, the crew declared PAN PAN and initiated a drift down to FL200. The crew observed the engine 2 master remained ON, no fault indication was shown on the ECAM, however, a restart attempt was unsuccessful. While troubleshooting the crew received an ECAM message ENG 2 HP FUEL VLV NOT OPEN and observed the engine fire switch was protuding. The crew consulted with company maintenance, reseated the switch and the engine was successfully restarted. The crew cancelled PAN PAN, climbed back to FL390 and continued to London for a safe landing about 5:15 hours later.

The aircraft remained on the ground in London until Feb 26th 2026 before returning to service.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a proposal of Airworthiness Directive 26-087 reasoning:

During in-service operation, one engine fire switch self-released in flight, causing an engine in-flight shut-down (IFSD). Subsequent investigation identified that a mechanical shock to the fire ICP FIN 245VM resulted in internal damage to the fire switch locking mechanism. Further analysis demonstrated that mechanical shocks could induce latent internal damage not detectable directly on the fire handle.

This condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in an in-flight engine(s) shut down and consequent reduced control of the aeroplane.

To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus issued the ISB, providing instructions for inspection and replacement of affected part. The ISB also includes instructions stipulating that, if any damage is identified, the affected part must be returned to the supplier for inspection and repair. Airbus has also implemented production controls, ensuring that aeroplanes with an aeroplane reference date later than 01 August 2026 are delivered with parts not subjected to mechanical shock prior to installation.

For the reasons described above, this AD requires a one-time general visual inspection (GVI) of the affected part and, depending on findings, accomplishment of applicable corrective action(s).

Related Flight: BA274, British Airways News